title: Patient opinion of the doctor-patient relationship in a public hospital in Qatar.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the factors associated with the level of satisfaction of outpatients in their relationship with their doctor at the largest public hospital in Qatar.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a cross-sectional survey of attitudes. Researchers surveyed 626 outpatients at Hamad General Hospital in Doha, Qatar from September 2009 to January 2010 using a novel questionnaire assessing satisfaction with patients' interaction(s) with their doctor (spent time with patient, took case seriously, maintained confidentiality, and the overall quality of visit).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean responses on 4 Likert scale items (one to 5) were as follows: "spent enough time with patient" = 4.39; "doctor took case seriously" = 4.57; "satisfaction with doctor-patient confidentiality" = 4.71; "overall quality of visit" = 4.46. Age, gender, citizenship, level of education, and number of visits did not significantly impact the level of satisfaction. For 73.1% of patients, the physician's qualification was the most important factor in choosing a doctor. Of those surveyed, 40.7% of men and 28.1% of women preferred to see a doctor of their own gender. A positive correlation between perceived communication and satisfaction with the doctor-patient encounter was established.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that patients in the Out-Patient Department at Hamad Hospital were highly satisfied with their relationships with their doctors, and physician qualification was the most significant factor in choosing a doctor. A significant number of males and females preferred a physician of their own gender. Communication difficulty correlated with lower satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Pre-Medical Department, Weill Cornell Medical College, Education City, PO Box 24144, Doha, State of Qatar. alw2010@qatar-med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Mohamud A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Verjee
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musson
authors.forename: Navid A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Tayseer M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Mosleh
authors.forename: Abdulwahed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zainel
authors.forename: Yassir
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al-Salamy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011780:Qatar